Forced Bulbs Make For a Cheery February

What I have noticed from my Instagram feed is that many Scandinavians are au courant of the importance of fresh flowers during the long, dark winter months. There is something about fresh flowers that brighten a closed up home and helps to rid the stale feeling that inevitably comes with February and March. Many Scandinavians achieve a constant supply of fresh blooms in their homes by using bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, Dutch iris, amaryllis and narcissus all offer vibrant blooms if cultivated correctly.

Thinking and planning months in advance is not one of my strong suits, so of course I wasn't aware that I wanted forced bulbs until the middle of February - when I actually want to enjoy fresh flowers. Typical. I have been seeing forced tulip arrangements popping up in stores {even Walgreen's and Cub Foods} and so I decided to take the easy way. The arrangements come in the tall glass hurricane with the plastic insert that elevates the bulbs above the water line. All of which can be used for future bulb forcing. I will enjoy my store-bought forced bulbs this year and use the supplies next year to force my own bulbs.

To facilitate my planning ahead, I already picked the dates over the next year to execute the steps so I will have forced bulbs by February 2016. Here are my dates and steps if you are interested in forcing your own bulbs in 2016.

Week of September 13, 2015

Buy large, quality, early blooming bulbs. Many packages state if the bulbs are able to be forced.
Put in vegetable crisper in the refrigerator, away from fruits and veggies that emit gasses that harm the bulbs {apples}.

Week of January 3, 2016

Place bulbs, roots down {pointed end up} on the plastic insert or glass beads. Fill with water without letting the water touch the bottom of the bulb to avoid rot.
Place glass hurricane in a cool, dark place for four to six weeks to allow the roots to develop.

Week of February 7, 2016